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Growth After Gluten Free?

cyberprof

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cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted

I'm asking because my son is wondering whether he will grow (or when he will grow) now that he is gluten-free.

~Laura

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pixiegirl Enthusiast
pixiegirl
Posted

I can only answer for my daughter, so far no. But she has only been gluten-free for a few months.

Susan

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Since boys have a much longer growth phase than girls, it is quite likely that he will still grow. Also, some boys, celiac disease or not, won't really have their final growth spurt until the age of 16 or older. My son looked like a 12 year old until he was 15 (with a soprano voice to match) and was getting desperate. When he was 16 he had an amazing growth spurt, lasting several months, and he ended up being six feet tall within less than a year!

I am positive he is gluten intolerant (in denial), but two of my brothers did the same thing (one has been diagnosed celiac disease in the meantime, and the other one is at least gluten intolerant..... but both of them are over six feet tall now).

Girls are often done growing when they are in between 12 and 16 (even though my girls seem to grow another inch just before turning 20), but boys apparently can grow past twenty years. So, there is definitely still hope for your son.

nikky Contributor
nikky
Posted

I was diagnosed in December and although already quite tall i fell behind some of my freinds.. but now ive caught up with them.. and taken over most.

cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted
  • Author

Anyone else?

Thanks for the replies, they help a bit. Ursa, he's a lot like your son, so I hope he does sprout up soon!

He will be 15 in less than a month and has been gluten free for about a month. The doc did a bone age scan at my insistence and his bone age is 12.5, so from what I've read he still has time to grow. I think that the undiagnosed celiac (and also perhaps dairy intolerance) has kept him from growing as much as he should (he grew 2 inches in the past 12 months). He hopes to see a growth spurt before we see the doc again in 6 months. If not, the doc will do some hormone tests and we'll go from there. I have two brothers over six feet (one is celiac) and my dad is over 6 feet and DS's dad is over six feet as are his uncle and his aunt is 5'11". I'm the short one- with celiac since my teens too, I'm sure.

~Laura

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
Anyone else?

Thanks for the replies, they help a bit. Ursa, he's a lot like your son, so I hope he does sprout up soon!

He will be 15 in less than a month and has been gluten free for about a month. The doc did a bone age scan at my insistence and his bone age is 12.5, so from what I've read he still has time to grow. I think that the undiagnosed celiac (and also perhaps dairy intolerance) has kept him from growing as much as he should (he grew 2 inches in the past 12 months). He hopes to see a growth spurt before we see the doc again in 6 months. If not, the doc will do some hormone tests and we'll go from there. I have two brothers over six feet (one is celiac) and my dad is over 6 feet and DS's dad is over six feet as are his uncle and his aunt is 5'11". I'm the short one- with celiac since my teens too, I'm sure.

~Laura

With the bone scan results that he had he has a really good chance of catching up. Your plan to do hormone tests are not out of line either. If his growth plates had fused then that would be different but his obviously are far behind the point where fusion occurs.

MySuicidalTurtle Enthusiast
MySuicidalTurtle
Posted

I was diagnosed at 17 (5 years ago) and am the same height that I was when I was 12. I cannot think of being any other height, ha!

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mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

I think celiac3270 (great kid who hasn't been here in a while) grew leaps and bounds. If I remember right he was 13/14 and grew close to 4 inches in one year. He also had some major stomach surgery during that time.

It is possible but with teenagers it is a personal journal, unique to the individual.

beaglemania Rookie
beaglemania
Posted

I was diagnosed at age 12 and I've grown a lot taller since changing to the gluten free diet. I'm now officially 5'5'' which I am sooo proud of (hey, everybody in my family is pretty short) I'm now sixteen and I still feel like I'm growing because I have a lot of catching up to do!

Fishy Guy Newbie
Fishy Guy
Posted
Anyone else?

Thanks for the replies, they help a bit. Ursa, he's a lot like your son, so I hope he does sprout up soon!

He will be 15 in less than a month and has been gluten free for about a month. The doc did a bone age scan at my insistence and his bone age is 12.5, so from what I've read he still has time to grow. I think that the undiagnosed celiac (and also perhaps dairy intolerance) has kept him from growing as much as he should (he grew 2 inches in the past 12 months). He hopes to see a growth spurt before we see the doc again in 6 months. If not, the doc will do some hormone tests and we'll go from there. I have two brothers over six feet (one is celiac) and my dad is over 6 feet and DS's dad is over six feet as are his uncle and his aunt is 5'11". I'm the short one- with celiac since my teens too, I'm sure.

~Laura

well, I know for a fact that I had a growth spurt. I'm now taller than my mom, and I can sing bass in chior! yay. :lol: ~Phil (Im new, any help I can get would be nice.)

cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted
  • Author

Thanks to everyone who replied. You are all great and I appreciate it.

~Laura

  • 1 month later...
Celiacgirl4GOD Newbie
Celiacgirl4GOD
Posted

I can't really say if I know. I have never had problems with my growth (last time I went to the doctor, I was in the 72nd percentile in my height so ya. I personally have grown since I have been diagnosed.

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